They Betrayed Me, So I Walked Away

Chapter 3

"You're insane!" Charlie threw the words at me before slamming the door behind him.

In the past, if he'd left that angry, I would have run after him without a second thought, apologizing before he'd even reached the elevator. This time, I stayed where I was.

I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head.

A moment later, my phone buzzed. To my surprise, it was Charlie. After every argument, I was always the one who reached out first.

Charlie: Stop acting childish. Get the onboarding paperwork ready and send it over this morning.

Even now, he didn't believe I'd actually broken up with him. To him, I was still his unpaid assistant, expected to clean up every mess he left behind.

Before I could put my phone down, another message appeared.

It was from Shirley.

Shirley: Mary, I heard you're overthinking things again. Just apologize. Charlie will forgive you. He always listens to me.

It sounded like she was trying to comfort me. Instead, every word drove the knife deeper.

She knew exactly what was going on.

She was simply pretending she didn't.

Only then did I realize something...

Charlie and I had rarely argued before six months ago. Then, almost overnight, everything changed.

He started canceling our plans at the last minute or disappearing without explanation.

And every single time we fought, Shirley would somehow appear at exactly the right moment.

Right in front of him, she'd tell me I was insecure, too jealous, too controlling.

After lecturing me, she'd flash me a bright smile and say, "See? I talked to him for you. He's not angry anymore."

Back then, I'd actually believed she was helping me.

Now I understood...

Every word she'd spoken had been carefully calculated.

She'd been driving us apart while making herself look like the peacemaker.

The realization made my stomach churn.

I rushed to the bathroom and barely made it before I threw up.

When I finally looked up, my eyes were red from crying.

I wiped away the tears.

No more.

I wasn't going to waste another tear on either of them.

*****

Today was the selection interview for Professor Standford's research team.

There was only one opening, and nearly a hundred applicants were competing for it.

Getting accepted would mean working alongside some of the most respected experts in the field. It would open doors to doctoral programs and career opportunities I could only dream about.

The interviews lasted all day.

Three rounds.

Each one more demanding than the last.

Fortunately, my preparation paid off, and I made it through every stage.

By the time I left, my phone had been dead for hours.

I stretched my sore shoulders as I unlocked the apartment door.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw Charlie and Shirley waiting for me.

Neither of them looked happy.

"Mary, what the hell were you thinking?" Charlie snapped. "Why didn't you prepare my paperwork? They've been calling me nonstop all day asking where it is!" His face was flushed with anger.

Shirley noticed my expression and gently caught his arm.

"Mary," she said softly, "I know you're upset, but you can't let your emotions ruin Charlie's future."

There was genuine panic in her voice.

Of course there was.

It wasn't just his future she cared about.

She was already imagining herself as the future Mrs. Grey.

I let out a cold laugh. "We've broken up," I said evenly. "His problems aren't mine anymore."

For the briefest moment, excitement flashed across Shirley's face before she hurried to hide it.

"Oh, come on," she said with a helpless smile, "you've been together for two years. Are you really going to throw everything away over one argument? What if he actually leaves?"

She paused before adding eagerly,

"If you don't want to submit the paperwork for him, I'll do it."

I almost laughed.

Go ahead.

I'd love to see the look on her face when she found out those documents could only be submitted under Mary Barnes, my account.

By then, it would already be too late.